


A Square of Linen (formerly Summer Cold)

by MaurLin



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Common Cold, F/M, Fluff, I wrote this for a contest, Not Beta Read, One Shot, Sentimental, Short One Shot, Sickfic, Summer, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, blood sweat and tears, handkerchief, no longer a one shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-07
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-02-25 20:53:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21701770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaurLin/pseuds/MaurLin
Summary: An illness is being passed around...Written for Bubs' summer contest- it just felt right to post it in winter...EDIT: This now has more chapters.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 44
Kudos: 160





	1. Summer Cold

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Taitai83](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taitai83/gifts).



> All characters belong to ZAG and Thomas Astruc.
> 
> Written just after I saw Timetagger, but probably set sometime before. We love Mr. Pigeon...
> 
> EDIT: Chapters 2-4 inspired by a comment by Taitai83. Give thanks (or blame) as appropriate.

“Lu-KA-CHOO!!”

Ladybug sneezed into her elbow, not wanting to spray Cat Noir with her germs. She sniffled a bit; and decided she’d better keep her nose in her elbow for now.  _ Ewww. Stupid cold,  _ she thought to herself.  _ Superheroes aren’t supposed to get colds! _

Ladybug hadn’t had much of a choice, though. All her friends seemed to be sharing a cold that had cropped up as soon as the hot weather of summer hit Paris. Her other self had been spared in the first round, but Alya had come by for a visit, and left behind a little gift to make Marinette’s week.

And just so her summer would be officially perfect, Mr. Pigeon was back. Seriously, how many times was this going to happen? At least it was a villain Ladybug was used to fighting, because she definitely wasn’t at the top of her game. And he didn’t know yet that Ladybug and Cat Noir were there; maybe she could deal with this mess before having to fight.

_ As long as I’m better by Saturday,  _ Ladybug thought. Saturday was the picnic in the park with Nino DJ’ing and everyone just getting together. Marinette couldn’t miss it, because Adrien had gotten permission to come. She wasn’t going to miss that just for a stupid cold!

“Didn’t know you were a fan of dabbing, LB,” came the voice to her right.

Ladybug rolled her red-rimmed, itchy eyes at Cat Noir. “I’b dot movig. Id’s gross.” She sniffed, and her voice took on even more congestion. “Cad you find me a tissue? By suit doe’n’t have pockeds.” She gave him a look of misery, although the effect was probably more pathetic.

“You do look like me when I get too close to feathers. I think I can help with that,” Cat Noir said with a smile. From his front left pocket he pulled a handkerchief and held it out to Ladybug.

She stared at it for a second. “You hab a han’kerchief?” She’d thought only her grandfather carried one.

“Not all the time; I just had one today.” He grinned. “Lucky you.”

Ladybug seized the offering gratefully. “Well, you can’d hab id back- nod undil I clean id,” she said, scrubbing at her face and elbow.

“No worries, Ladybug. Go ahead and keep it; I’ve got more.” Cat Noir seemed amused.

Ladybug blew her nose, then folded the handkerchief into a band with the snot on the inside and tied the band around her wrist. At least she’d have a way to rub her nose after the next sneeze.

As she tied the handkerchief, she noticed a monogram on the corner. “‘A’, huh? ” she said.

“What?” Cat Noir said, startled.

Ladybug waved at the handkerchief. “Monogram.”

Cat Noir scratched the back of his head, looking away from Ladybug. “Uh, a friend of mine gave that one to me. That’s his initial.”

Ladybug raised her eyebrows, but let it go. She straightened. “Led’s try dis again while I can still breade.”

********************

Marinette was enjoying herself at the picnic. Well, mostly. She was still a bit sick, but she felt a hundred percent better than she had two days ago, which meant she was around seventy-five percent normal. Her head was mostly clear, although her eyes still itched. The sunlight and warmth of the day helped a lot.

She’d found that she was hungry all the time with this cold, but that nothing looked or tasted good. Anticipating that, she had brought a large insulated jug of her mother’s chicken soup. She also had Cat Noir’s cleaned handkerchief in her purse, just in case there was an opportunity to return it.

As she sat soaking up the sun, she noticed Adrien sitting a little ways away under a tree. He was leaning against the trunk and looking a bit pathetic. Then she heard him sneeze, and saw him wipe his nose on his sleeve.

_ Poor Adrien, _ Marinette thought.  _ Maybe his allergy is giving him trouble- or maybe he caught a cold too. _ She decided to go over and see how he was, taking with her the soup and a couple of large picnic cups.

Adrien opened an eye as Marinette approached. “Do’t get too close; I hab a code,” he told her.

Marinette smiled. “Too late. I’ve had one for the last three days, thanks to Alya.” She sat down next to him. “I know summer colds are the worst.”

“Dat’s the trut’,” Adrien said with a sigh. He sniffled.

“Want some soup? Mom made it for me in case I didn’t feel like eating what was here.”

Adrien paused for thought. “Yeah, soup sou’ds good.”

Marinette poured out two cups of chicken broth and handed one to Adrien. They drank quietly for a few minutes, then Marinette asked, “Why didn’t you stay home, if you feel so lousy?”

“I wa’n’t going do miss dis- nod after gedding permission to come.” Adrien coughed a little, then sneezed, turning away from Marinette. “I felt ogay dis mornig, so I di’n’t grab a han’kerchief when I lebt. I wish I did; dis is disgustig.”

Marinette sat up straight. She had Cat Noir’s handkerchief with her- she’d planned to give it back. But Cat Noir had told her to keep it- and Adrien did need something better than the sleeve of his shirt to blow his nose. She reached into her purse and took out the handkerchief. “Here. This should help.”

Adrien looked at the handkerchief for a second, then slowly took it out of her hand. “T’anks,” he said thickly. He blew his nose and smiled. “You do hab de answer do every prob’em.”

Marinette blushed. “Oh, well, a friend of mine gave me that and told me to keep it. I was going to give it back, but I think you need it more. Why don’t you have it?”

Adrien smiled a little more. “A frie’d? Anyone I dow?”

Marinette turned a couple of shades pinker. “Probably not. Uh, h-she doesn’t get out much.” Marginally true; she was only Ladybug for a short time, and pretty much only when an akuma was around. The same was probably true for Cat Noir.

“Oh. I’d lige do meet her sobetibe.” Adrien’s smile dropped a little, and he sneezed into the handkerchief. He blew his nose and wiped his eyes. “T’ank her for me, will you?”

“Um, sure.”

The two of them sat together for a little longer, listening to the beats Nino was laying down. Finally Adrien’s phone vibrated with a message, and he looked over to the park entrance. A silver car was waiting there.

“Dime for me do go.” Adrien stood up. “T’anks for de soup and de company, Marinette. See you lader?”

“Sure. Feel better!” Marinette waved as Adrien left the park.

She leaned against his tree as she thought about the time they’d just spent together. Maybe because she was sick too, she hadn’t been completely awkward. Marinette smiled, grateful for a moment to share with Adrien, even over a summer cold.


	2. Tears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For when the feels leak out your eyes...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters belong to ZAG and Thomas Astruc.

Sometimes, he just liked to run the rooftops. Especially when he needed to clear his head.

Adrien’s father was on a two-week trip to Milan and Prague, to meet with suppliers for fabrics and fasteners. Nathalie had gone along, which left him in the care of the Gorilla for the two weeks Gabriel was away. While Adrien appreciated the time with his friends- the Gorilla was a lot more lenient about his visiting Nino for a few hours than his dad- sometimes he still felt the need to stretch his legs over the rooftops. And since Hawkmoth seemed to be on a break, too- he was just going to enjoy the evenings while he could.

Cat Noir paused on the roof of his school, struck with a touch of melancholy. No akumas meant no Ladybug- she was a lot less inclined to run the roofs just for the sheer joy of doing so. And he  _ really _ wanted to talk to her; she was his best friend, and could probably help him figure out what to do.

His enhanced hearing picked up a noise from across the street. Looking over, he saw Marinette on her balcony. He smiled; she really was the nicest person in school, and a great friend. Then he heard her sniffle, and saw her wipe her forearm across her eyes.

Cat Noir was leaping across the street to her before he could think about it. “Marinette?”

Marinette started badly and nearly fell over; Cat Noir jumped off the rail in time to keep her from tripping over her table. “Are you all right?” he asked, worried that he’d hurt her.

“Oh, uhhh, sure! Sure, I’m fine!” Marinette gave him one of those too-wide smiles of hers- the ones she gave Adrien a lot. He’d figured out that they meant she was hiding something, although pressing to find out what she was hiding was an exercise in frustration. This particular smile was a bit wavery, though, and not helped at all by the two tears escaping down her cheeks.

Cat Noir decided to give her the Cat Stare ™, the one that says “ _ I know you’re lying, and you know you’re lying, so there’s no point in pretending _ ”. Marinette seemed unusually resistant, though; she dropped the smile, but gave him a stare back that said, “ _ Yes, I’m lying, but you’re not getting the truth, so don’t even try _ ”.

Really, staring at each other all night was NOT how Cat Noir wanted to spend the evening. And he knew Marinette could out-stubborn him; she rivaled Ladybug for that when she put her mind to it. He slumped, ears flattening. “I’m sorry.” He fished in his pocket for the handkerchief he carried. “Here. This is a little better than your sleeve…”

Marinette offered a genuine (if still watery) smile then. “Thanks.” She dried her face, and sniffled again. “I’m sorry, too, Cat Noir. I- just had a whole bunch of things go wrong at once, and I just need to cry for a minute. Don’t worry; I’ll stop before an akuma comes.”

He hadn’t thought about that; the idea put him on alert, scanning the sky.

“Cat?” A change in Marinette’s voice brought his attention back.

Marinette was frowning slightly, looking at the handkerchief. “Where did you get this?”

Cat Noir then realized that the handkerchief was  _ Adrien’s _ \- monogram and all. And Marinette would recognize it for sure, since she had given it to him at the summer picnic. (Well, technically, she had given it  _ back _ to him, but she didn’t know that.)  _ Uh-oh…what do I say..? _

Marinette was giving him a suspicious look. He scratched the back of his head. “Yeah, funny story about that…would you believe that  _ Adrien Agreste _ gave that to me?”

“Oddly enough, I would. But why?”

Cat Noir hoped this story would work- the last thing he needed was for Marinette to figure out his identity. He smiled, putting on a cocky act. “Well, we happened to be in the same place… and we happen to have a lot in common.”

“Oh? Like what?” Marinette sounded skeptical, but at least that was better than suspicious.

_ Like everything…  _ “For instance, we both know that pigeons are evil.”

That got a laugh out of her. “Seriously? Evil? Unless you’re counting Mr. Pigeon, I don’t think so.”

“Oh, yes they are. Evil incarnate. And they can always tell who has feather allergies, and they ALWAYS gather around those people like they’re pigeon magnets. Lucky for me, young Mr. Agreste had a spare hanky handy. And I’ve carried it ever since.” He coughed. “Of course, I wasn’t suited up at the time, so maybe don’t mention it to him…”

Marinette kept giggling. “Okay, I won’t. Should I give this back to him when I’ve cleaned it?”

Cat Noir shrugged. “Sure, I guess. Or pass it on to the next person who needs it- you never know when a handkerchief can come in handy.”

Marinette came around the table and gave Cat Noir a hug. “Thanks for stopping by. It’s- not things I can discuss, but- I’m still glad you checked on me. I feel a lot better.”

Cat Noir patted her back. “Good. I’m glad.” He stepped back and leaped on the balcony rail. “Good night, Marinette.”

“Good night, Cat Noir.”

Her smile was warm enough to carry him all the way home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Adrien paused in his headlong run. Sure, he was in good shape (superhero antics really were a great workout), but this akuma was  _ persistently _ focused on him and really fast. He hadn’t had a chance to evade and transform; he’d settled for leading it away from the photoshoot and all the people there.

He felt bad for the Gorilla, who’d tried to stop it, but had been swatted aside like a fly and into a wall. Adrien hoped the man would be all right.

Suddenly, there was a blinding flash- and when he blinked his eyes clear of the dazzle, he was…

Well, Adrien had no idea where he was. A featureless landscape, dark grey fog in every direction.

_ No! I have to get out- Ladybug needs me!  _ He gasped for air as he shoved down the panic trying to choke him.

There were whispers coming from all around him, but he couldn’t make out the words. Turning in place, he found no source for the voices, no means of escape- nothing.

And the voices started to get louder- he could tell what they were saying, now. They were every fear, every criticism he had ever heard, from his father and anyone else:  _ you’re a disappointment/ you failed/ how could you lose/she left because of you/ I don’t love you that way/you need to be safe/you must do better/ _

They wouldn’t stop, and Adrien covered his ears in a futile attempt to muffle the sound. He tried to make himself as small as he could- less of a target- as he closed his eyes against the hurt.

A hand touched his elbow. He jerked back, startled at the touch, and opened his eyes.

“Adrien?”

He was back- back in the street, in the sun, breathing in short gasps as he looked around.

Ladybug crouched next to him, worry etched across her face. “Are you all right?”

For a moment all he could do was blink at her. “Y-Yeah, I’m fine.”

She smiled a little and shook her head as she pulled out her yo-yo. “You don’t look like you’re fine.” Out of the yo-yo Ladybug pulled a piece of white linen; she rubbed gently at his face, and he was surprised to feel the damp trails on his cheeks.

Ladybug glanced to the side, where Adrien could hear faint sounds of mayhem. “I still need to go after that akuma, but…” She bit her lip.

_ She wants to stay with me,  _ he realized. As much as his heart warmed at the thought, he knew she had to go- and so did he, if he wanted to help her. “I’ll be fine, m-Ladybug.” Adrien gave her his best smile- a little shaky, but heartfelt. “I’m sure Cat Noir will need you soon.”

Ladybug’s cheeks went pink below the mask. She still looked a little unsure, but nodded. Patting his hand, she launched her yo-yo across the street and swung away.

Adrien stood, a bit wobbly still, and ducked into a nearby alley. Plagg shot out of his shirt, and gave him a concerned look. “You really okay, kid?”

“Yeah. Just shook up some. Good thing Ladybug could break me out of it.”

“Hey, what’s that? A souvenir from your lady-love?” the kwami snarked.

Adrien realized that he was still holding the handkerchief. Looking closer, he noticed something else- a very familiar monogram. “This- this is mine…it’s the same one I gave to Marinette…”

“And she gave it to you, after you gave it to Ladybug…” the kwami eyed the fabric as if it might bite.

Adrien couldn’t think about this now, with an akuma on the loose. He tucked the handkerchief into his back pocket.  _ But _ , he thought as he transformed,  _ I’ll definitely look into this later _ .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had people say things that spawned stories before, but this is the first time a comment has created a continuation of a story. (I hope I have appropriately caught and tamed these plotbunnies, Taitai83. Thanks for the comment!)
> 
> Like the original fic, this was written in a short burst with minimal editing and no beta. Please forgive me for any errors, and point them out if I'm too blind to see them.
> 
> As always, please comment!


	3. Blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red on white.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters belong to ZAG and Thomas Astruc.

_ Wow, the sky is really blue… _ Marinette thought as she gazed into the brilliant firmament.

She wondered for a second how she hadn’t noticed before, then remembered how she got into a position to notice in the first place. One wrong step, and boom! Down the steps of the school, slip and slide to the bottom.  _ Well, at least the sky is pretty… _

Someone floated into her field of vision, sunshine-gold blocking the light and haloing the face. “Marinette? Are you okay?”

The concern in the green eyes kickstarted her brain back into gear, although her mouth (as usual) had trouble catching up. “H-how’s the weather up there?” 

_ Lame, girl, WHAT is falling out of your mouth? _

Adrien’s face went from concerned to confused. He shook his head. “Can you stand?”

“I-I dunno; let me try…” Marinette sat up, and hissed as her elbow made a large scratch known.

“You’re bleeding!” This made Adrien more concerned than Marinette, if she was honest. Given the number of tumbles she’d taken, she’d long since learned to assess injuries according to severity. Minor things like a scratch were damage she took in stride.

He pulled out a square of white linen from his pocket, holding it to the scratch and tying it in place. “You should go see the nurse.”

Marinette was confused. “For this? It’s just a scratch…”

“You should probably have it checked out anyway, Adrien can take you.”  _ Good old Alya _ , Marinette thought. Just when she thought she could make a break for it and end this round of ‘embarrass-herself-in-front-of-her-crush’, Alya  _ had _ to prolong the agony.

Marinette shook her head. “I can make it…” As she got to her feet, her left foot protested the motion with a throb of pain and a stumble.

Adrien was quick to grab her. “Nope, not walking.” He picked her up in his arms, one arm supporting her back, another under her knees, and headed back up the treacherous steps.

Marinette was sure her face was about to combust.

Later that evening, after washing the handkerchief, she sat and looked at it more closely. It looked familiar.  _ Really _ familiar. There was the monogram, a distinct “A” that must have been custom work- and the slight fray in the corner she had noticed from the last time she had seen it.

Was this the same handkerchief that Cat Noir had given to both her selves- and that she kept giving back to Adrien?

_ I gave it to Adrien, and Cat Noir gave it back. And he had it in the first place… _

Shrugging, Marinette got out some white thread to mend the fray- it was a little worse than last time. It was the work of five minutes to sew it down so no one could tell it had been damaged. Then, she put a tiny thread ‘x’ in the repaired corner, just by the seam. If this  _ was _ the same handkerchief, and it came back to her after she gave it away again, she’d know it for sure with that mark.

That finished, she took herself and her sore foot to bed. Both Tikki and the nurse had said her foot would be better in the morning, and Marinette was hoping for a good night’s sleep to help it along.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

“Hold  _ still, _ kitty!”

“I’m okay, Ladybug! Really!”

“No, you’re  _ not _ okay! You need to be able to  _ see! _ ”

“I’ve been scratched worse than this before- no one will even see it once I comb my hair.”

“That you actually groom that mane is great news-“

“Me- _ ouch _ , my Lady.”

“- but it’s bleeding a  _ lot  _ and running into your eyes! Will you let me do something about it?  _ Please?” _

“Not that your cure won’t fix it…hey, what’s that?”

“A handkerchief, duh. If you could see, you could tell.”

“Looks familiar…”

“You’re imagining things. Maybe you got hit harder than I thought.”

“Don’t know if that’s big enough to go around my head, bugaboo.”

“Doesn’t have to, Mr. Bighead. Give me your belt.”

“Fine; here.”

“Not too tight? Good; that’ll hold just long enough. Get ready, kitty!”

“Just say the word, LB!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When you think about it, a square piece of fabric really is tremendously useful. I played with some of the obvious uses here, but I found a book that shows how to use them as gift wrap, grocery bags, purses, and pillowcases. My brother's old Scouting manual has even more ideas.  
> What do you think; should handkerchiefs make a comeback?
> 
> Thanks again for the inspiration. One more chapter to go!
> 
> Please comment! I love how people think!


	4. Sweat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And it comes around again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters belong to ZAG and Thomas Astruc.

Adrien studied the freshly-laundered handkerchief in his hand. Sure enough, it was his.  _ This thing is like a boomerang; it keeps coming back! _

How on earth had it gotten to Ladybug? He’d given it to Marinette! Twice! Then he recalled- the first time he’d given the handkerchief away, he had given it to Ladybug, and Marinette gave it back.

A sneaking suspicion was forming in his mind. Given that the same person never received and then gave the piece of cloth back twice, he was beginning to doubt the assumption that they  _ were _ separate people. Even if Marinette and Ladybug were friends, why would they keep passing around a handkerchief?

Sighing, Adrien put the cloth in his pocket and shrugged on his suit coat. This would be a problem for another time- or at least, something to think about during Mayor Bourgoise’s autumn party. He had asked both Ladybug and Cat Noir to attend; Cat had begged off, citing ‘family obligations’. That was true- Adrien was attending on his father’s behalf. Cat Noir had reassured the mayor that he would be on the lookout for an akuma attack, and Ladybug had agreed to go.

Throwing a sealed chunk of camembert in his suit pocket, he turned to Plagg. “Ready to go?”

The kwami sighed, and flew into the suit coat.

Adrien had mingled with the guests that had arrived so far, and dodged any attempt Chloe made to fasten him to her arm. The person he was really hoping to see was nowhere in sight.

Finally, he heard a low, frantic muttering in a small, sheltered area behind a curtain. Ducking around the hanging fabric, he found Ladybug pacing in tiny circles, staring at the floor and twisting her fingers together.

“Ladybug? Are you okay?”

She jumped, startled, and gave him a shaky smile. “A-Adrien! I didn’t know you were coming!” She tittered a little. “I’m fine; how are you?”

_ Better than you are, bugaboo,  _ he thought. Gone was the confident superhero he knew, leaving behind this anxious girl. No matter how Ladybug tried to hide it, he could read her state of mind. But Adrien had dealt with her insecurities before, and he knew she needed a bit of help to calm down.

Adrien pulled out the handkerchief from his pocket and gave it to Ladybug. “You look like there’s an akuma on the other side of that curtain. Anything I can help with?”

She mopped her sweating brow, only part of her attention on him. She waved her other hand. “Oh, just that the mayor asked me to give a short speech. With no notice. About being a superhero. What on earth can I say to all these people?”

He put his hands on Ladybug’s shoulders. “You don’t have to talk to all of them. Just pick out one person who looks like they need something you have to say, and talk to that one. Everyone else will just have to listen.”

Ladybug’s face went from anxious to hopeful. “You think that’ll work?”

“I know it will- I know  _ you _ will. Trust me on this, okay?” Adrien smiled.

Something flickered across her face, too fast for him to catch it. Then she smiled back. “Okay.”

“Good. See you out there.” Adrien ducked back out of the curtained area, and into the crowd, just as the mayor announced that his special guest-  _ Ladybug, the Hero of Paris- _ would give a short talk.

Adrien watched as his Lady gave a beautiful talk about how everyone could be a hero. He noticed her eyes never strayed from a young girl near the front of the crowd, whose face gazed at Ladybug with something close to awe. Not that Adrien blamed her. As usual, Ladybug was awesome.

He applauded just as enthusiastically as everyone else when she finished, and launched herself out of the window with her yoyo.  _ Now, I just have to make it through the rest of the evening. _

MDCMDCMDCMDCMDCMDCMDCM

After a grueling series of photoshoots and a fencing tournament, Adrien  _ needed _ a run on the roofs. Transforming into Cat Noir and vaulting through the City of Light at night was relaxing, even as he was scanning for signs of akuma trouble.

And there hadn’t been any, which meant his chances of seeing Ladybug and maybe checking his Marinette theory were nil. Adrien supposed he should be grateful for the chance to catch up on his sleep, but he’d been pulled out of school for the week, and he hadn’t seen anyone besides his dad’s employees in all that time. He desperately needed a chance to see other people, even if it was ordinary folk waving at the superhero.

(At least his father had been out of town again. If he’d been at the shoots, Adrien’s stress level would have gone through the roof on the first day.)

A flash of white, moving in his peripheral vision, caught his attention. Cat Noir turned toward the source: Marinette, standing on her balcony, waving a white handkerchief around and looking right at him.

Curious, he leaped over to her ledge. “Something I can do for you?” he asked.

Close up, he could see her closed expression and rigid posture. “No, Cat Noir. I think you’ve already done enough.”

Cat Noir blinked. He hadn’t done anything, so far as he knew.  _ Well, other than give her a handkerchief to cry into- _

_ …wait. _

He glanced down at the white square in her hand. Not close enough to be sure, but it looked pretty familiar… like the one Adrien had given Ladybug earlier in the week. A cold pit settled in his gut.

Maybe he could distract her from whatever theory she had running through her head if he feigned ignorance. “What do you mean?”

Marinette just glared at him, arms folded. “I really don’t know how to feel about you right now.”

Cat Noir shook his head. What Marinette seemed to be was mad, but why? He tried to keep his defensiveness out of his voice. “If I did something wrong, I’m sorry. But I can’t fix it if I don’t know what it is.”

“Oh, there’s no  _ fixing  _ this.” She got right up into his face. “ _ You told me who you are,” _ she hissed.  _ “Adrien.” _

A cold sweat broke out on Cat Noir’s brow. How on earth- 

Never mind. Maybe Marinette only thought she knew; any reaction and then she’d be sure. “What makes you think-“

“This,  _ kitty!”  _ Marinette pushed the handkerchief into his chest. “ _ And _ what you told me at the mayor’s party!”

_ What? _ Cat Noir froze. “I wasn’t-“

“There?” Marinette huffed. “Neither was I. Except we were. And you gave me a handkerchief, and some advice.”

_ Wait. Was I right? _

She barreled on, heedless of his confusion. “And then you said something you’d told me before, with your ears on.” Marinette put her hands on his shoulders. “‘ _ Trust me on this, okay?’” _

When had he- oh.

Oh.

_ OH. _

_ Stoneheart. In front of the Eiffel Tower. Before Hawkmoth… _

But that meant…

“You’re Ladybug.”

Marinette nodded sharply, and let him go. “Now do you know how I’m feeling?” She paced to the other side of the balcony. “I’ve been freaking out for  _ days _ , and your stupid schedule means that I haven’t  _ seen _ you, and-“ She grabbed the pillow off the sling chair, and buried her face in it before letting out a muffled scream.

About the only thing he could think to do was apologize. “I’m sorry, Marinette. I didn’t mean to, and I don’t control my schedule.”

Her shoulders slumped, and she sat abruptly on the chair. “I know. And I’m sorry. I’m not mad, really. It’s just- been a little stressful. I didn’t want to know, but I also didn’t want to be the only one who knew. Being a Guardian is bad enough.” She smiled, and Cat Noir felt his heart lighten again.

Marinette got up and opened her balcony trapdoor. “Come on kitty. There’s some people I’d like you to meet.”

He didn’t need a second invitation to follow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is this the end? Is the handkerchief done wandering? NOPE! Just as I thought I was done, a new idea came up. But I have another fic to work on before my brain can handle another chapter, so I will post it when I can think again.
> 
> Thank you all again for reading and commenting. I appreciate it so much!


	5. New Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new stage of life begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters belong to ZAG and Thomas Astruc.

Strolling down the promenade to the Eiffel Tower, Marinette thought about the past five years.

The man beside her was the best part of those five years. Her partner, her best friend, her boyfriend. Her confidant, her cheerleader, her other half.  _ Adrien. _

She only hoped she was all that for him too. He’d gotten better, after Hawkmoth’s defeat, with therapy and time. And love.

But he’d been quiet about this date. Marientte had thought Adrien would have done something yesterday, for the anniversary of their debut as heroes. But  _ No, _ he’d said,  _ we’ll wait until tomorrow. _

And here they were, at the Eiffel Tower, heading down the walkway. With her arm around his waist, and his over her shoulders, Marinette could feel the tension in Adrien.

He stopped suddenly halfway down the walk from the Trocadero. “Yeah, it was here,” Adrien said softly.

“What was?” Marinette asked. There didn’t seem to be anything special about that spot. She racked her brain, trying to figure out what he meant.

Adrien turned to her, with the soft look in his eyes she loved. “This was where I fell in love with you.” He pulled her over to the side, out of the way of the few pedestrians out that late. “The day Stoneheart came back; the day you doubted yourself and yet rallied to take Hawkmoth on and save the day- I knew then I was in love with the girl beneath the mask, and I have been ever since.”

He then withdrew a small white lump out of his pocket. Marinette looked closer.

“Is- is that your  _ handkerchief? _ ” The much-abused piece of fabric had passed between them numerous times over the years. It had acquired a faint stain or two, and Marinette had re-hemmed the edge a few times; it had become a bit of an inside joke for one of them, in or out of the mask, to pass it to the other somehow.

Now, it had been tied around a square box, the four corners making up a sort of flower-like knot-bow on top. Marinette could see the distinctive ‘A’ on one of the ‘petals’.

“It is,” Adrien confirmed. “Although when I asked Kagami to tie it for me, she complained that I should be using a proper hurosiki, not ‘an old rag’. I didn’t tell her what it means.” He smiled. “Open it.”

Taken with a sudden combination of nerves and anticipation, Marinette almost dropped the box. Tikki and Plagg darted out to keep her hand steady.

“Come on, open it!” the kwamis chorused, then looked at each other as if they were embarrassed to be in sync. They dived back into hiding.

Adrien held the box as Marinette undid the knot-bow. Inside was a plain black jeweler’s box, and inside  _ that- _

“You’ve been my rock, both inside the mask and out of it. You make me laugh, and hold me when I cry. There is so much goodness in you, I can’t imagine being with anyone else, ever. And all I want for the rest of our lives is the chance to make you happy, every day.” Adrien was on one knee in front of her, oh goodness, he was…Marinette’s mind stopped thinking, just listening to the man she loved so much. “Marinette, will you marry me?”

How had her voice stopped working? Marinette nodded hard while mouthing ‘yes’, tears gathering in her eyes. Adrien wasn’t entirely dry-eyed himself, as his finger fumbled the rose-gold ring out of the box and onto her finger. The flush-set princess cut diamond glittered in a storm of color under the lights.

Marinette kissed him, a properly improper kiss that left the small crowd that had gathered while Adrien was on his knee whistling and applauding. She then pulled him upright for a hug and another, gentler kiss.

Once he’d stopped spinning her in circles, Marinette took Adrien’s hand. “Come on. I need to show you something.”

He followed as she led him away from the Tower. “Where are we going?”

She smiled at him. “The place I fell in love with you.”

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

As much fun as the reception was, Adrien was ready for it to be over. But who was he to deprive his friends and Marinette’s family of a reason to party?

Nino had insisted on DJ’ing the affair as his wedding gift, although he did leave the turntables to fulfill his duties as ‘best man’. Adrien thought his face would never stop flaming from Nino’s speech, but he had to admit Alya’s chiming in with a “top five” of Marinette’s embarrassing moments was funny. He kept himself from laughing by whispering how cute each incident was in her ear.

The crown of the catering was a croquembouche from Marinette’s parents. He felt he’d never tasted anything better. Claiming Marinette from her father’s arms, Adrien swung her around in a waltz.

“That good, huh?” Adrien’s bride smiled as she regarded her husband.

“Hm?”

“The croquembouche. You saved some for later,” Marinette teased. She pulled a white handkerchief out of her décolletage and dabbed at the corner of his mouth.

“Oops, sorry. Hey, is that-“

“Yes, it is. Alya got some weird tradition in her head, that I needed four things for luck. ‘Something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue’. No idea where she gets these things.” Marinette shook her head a little. “So I figured this is my something borrowed. Or my something old. Could be both.”

Adrien raised a brow and grinned. “Does that mean I get it back later?”

His new wife smiled, her eyes half-lidded as she tucked the linen back into its hiding place. “If you can find it…”

_ When does the reception end again? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plotbunnies will not stop multiplying. Every time I think it's over, one more idea comes in. I regret everything. (Almost. Maybe not.)
> 
> Let me know what you think!


	6. What's All This?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma found something in Papa's desk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters belong to ZAG and Thomas Astruc.

“What have you got there, little kitten?”

Emma smiled at the tiny floating cat. Plagg and Tikki were her best friends outside of preschool. Although Maman had told her that people didn’t know friends like them were real, and that it would be unkind to tell them about the kwami when they couldn’t have one of their own. It was okay; Plagg and Tikki said they liked being a special secret.

Just like Maman and Papa were keeping secrets. They didn’t know that Emma knew they were superheroes. Or that Maman had a special box full of fun jewelry with more secret friends inside. Plagg and Tikki tried to keep Emma from the box, but that didn’t work; Emma always found it.

Not that Emma did more than pull out a piece or two at a time. Not to use, like Maman and Papa did, but to talk to her other friends. Xuppu and Pollen and Trixx and Mullo- even Kaalki- were so much fun and had such great stories! How could Emma resist?

Once she had pulled out four pieces so that she had enough friends for a tea party, but she was so tired after she put them away that she slept through her playdate with Sasha. Tikki told her later that she should not bring out so many of her friends at once, ‘cause it would make her sleepy. Emma didn’t like being sleepy and missing out on things. Plus Maman might wonder and hide the box again.

A cough brought her back to Plagg. “Kitten? What have you got?”

Emma waved the small piece of fabric at the cat-kwami. “I found it!” she said proudly. “In Papa’s desk!”

Plagg gave her a look. “Now what were you doing in your papa’s desk, little kitten?”

Emma looked away. “I need a pencil. Mine broke.”

“Ah. But that doesn’t look like a pencil, does it?” Sometimes Plagg stated the incredibly obvious. It annoyed Emma, but Plagg was Plagg, and Tikki was Tikki, and it was no use getting mad at either of them. (At least, that’s what Maman said when Plagg annoyed Papa.)

“You’ll have to be careful with that. It means a lot to your parents,” Tikki chirped from the other side of the room.

“It does?” Emma was surprised. It didn’t look as good as even the practice fabric Maman used for her work (which Emma was not allowed to touch, because it was for other people). This fabric was faintly dirty, though it smelled clean, like Papa. “Why?”

“Because they keep giving it to each other. That handkerchief has been given from your papa to your maman and back for years- ever since your maman got a cold and needed something to blow her nose on.”

Emma thought about that. “Ew.”

“Yes, well,” said Tikki. She had flown over to hover next to Plagg. “They like it, so be careful.”

“Okay.” Emma considered the handkerchief. “Maman said tomorrow was an important day for her and Papa. Maybe I should give it back tomorrow?”

Plagg snorted. “It’s their anniversary, kitten.”

“Ana..anni-what?”

“It’s like a birthday, Emma. It means it’s been five years since your maman and papa got married.” Tikki said kindly. The ladybug-kwami brightened. “Maybe you could make them a present, and give the handkerchief back with that!”

Emma wasn’t sure about that. Her drawings weren’t anything like Maman’s; although both her parents said they loved them and put them all over the house, Emma could tell how much better Maman’s were. She could make cookies (well, with a LOT of help from Grandpere), but her grandparents weren’t there. And what else could she make?

Wait. Tonight Emma was going to the bakery. Grandmere was going to take care of her til bedtime. Maybe Grandpere would be there too and they COULD make cookies. Or something. Emma would ask.

She shoved the handkerchief in her pocket. Now she had a plan. “I can do that!”

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Emma had worked hard making and frosting the cookies, and Grandpere said that he was so proud of her. He had put her special cookies in a little box, and Grandmere helped her tie the handkerchief around it. Grandpere then had her pick out a larger box of leftovers to take home for the next day before she fell asleep on the sofa.

Emma woke up when her parents came back for her. She had to keep the little box secret until the next day; so she hid it in the little bag of toys and things she always brought with her. Papa tried to take the bag to the car for her, but Emma insisted on carrying it herself. She didn’t want Papa to look inside.

At home, she set the bag safely on her little table and went to sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a big day.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

The next morning, Emma leaped out of bed before her parents. She had decided overnight to make them breakfast. Or, at least, to set breakfast out for them.

Plagg and Tikki helped. Plagg started the coffeemaker, groaning about the bitter scent all the while. Tikki helped Emma to get the plates and cups Emma couldn’t reach; she carried them carefully to the small kitchen table, one at a time, and set them where they would go for a tea party. Emma pulled open the bakery box and set out croissants on each plate, got the jam out of the fridge, and was debating to herself whether the sliced ham was too much when she heard a cough behind her.

Her papa and maman were standing nearby, arms around each other, watching her with smiles on their faces. “What’s all this?” asked Papa.

Emma looked down, tracing a spot on the floor with her toe. She hadn’t meant to get caught til everything was ready. “We’re making breakfast for you. For your anna- anni-“

“Anniversary,” chorused the two kwami.

“Yeah, that.”

“Oh, cherie,” said Maman. She looked ready to cry. That was NOT what Emma had been trying to do!

She hurried to reassure her mother. “It’s okay, Maman! Plagg and Tikki helped, I was super-careful, please don’t cry!”

Papa chuckled. “Emma-cherie, your maman’s not sad. She’s very proud of you- and so am I.” He swung Emma up in the air as she shrieked in surprise, giving her a big hug.

She hugged her papa back, then wriggled to get loose. “I have something for you!”

Emma ran to her room and got the small box out of her bag. Running back, she held it up. “Grandpere and I made you cookies!”

Both Maman and Papa looked at the box in wonder. “Where did you get that wrapping, cherie?” Papa asked.

“Out of your desk,” Emma replied, shoulders hunched. “I was looking for a pencil, and Tikki said it was special, and Grandmere helped me tie it, and-“ She thought  _ maybe  _ she shouldn’t have used the handkerchief now, but nobody  _ seemed _ to be mad…

Papa picked her up again, and Maman giggled, one hand over her mouth. “No wonder you couldn’t find it!” she laughed at her husband.

“Yes, well, our little pencil- hunter got it first. Maybe we should all pass it around now.” Pere bent over and gave Maman a quick kiss on the lips; Emma scrunched her face up at the display of affection. “Now,” he continued as he carried her to the table, “Let’s see what you made, cherie.”

LBCNLBCNLBCNLBCNLBCNLBCNLBCNLBCNLBCNLBCN

“Hugo! Louis! What did you  _ do??!” _

The twins stared at their older sister; being nonverbal for the most part, they really had no way to answer that question. But it was obvious to Emma; her parents’ favorite handkerchief, lovingly passed between all of them over years- well, now one ragged half was in Hugo’s left hand, and the other part of it was in Louis’ right.

Sometimes being the five-year-old sister to twin babies was harder than it looked.  _ Who knew babies were so strong? _

And _ how had they gotten that handkerchief in the first place? _

Never mind that; Emma had to get it away from them before Maman saw. She would be so upset, and so would Papa, and Emma never wanted to make either of her parents sad. Maman was just outside the room. She would be back any second!

Emma tried to pry Hugo’s fingers open, to claim the ripped piece, but he hung on all the tighter. His face screwed up in the prelude to a wail; if he started crying, Louis would start, and then Maman would run in, and it would be too late- Emma started to panic.

She switched to Louis, hoping he would be more cooperative. No good; his fist holding the torn piece was already in his mouth, adding a slippery coating that made his hand hard to hold.

“Come on, Louis, that’s not yours. Please give it back,” Emma begged as she tried to wiggle the chunk of fabric loose.

Louis began to pout as tears gathered in his green eyes. She couldn’t keep trying without triggering a tantrum! Emma felt like crying, herself.

“What’s all this?” It was Maman.

“Maman, they got your special handkerchief, I don’t know how, they tore it…” Emma blinked hard, trying not to cry.

Maman smiled. “It’s all right, cherie. It was my fault for leaving it too close to them. It’ll be okay.”

“But it’s  _ not,  _ it’s  _ special _ , Papa will be sad…”

“Trust me, little one.” Maman hugged Emma for a minute, rubbing her back. “You’ll see. Everything will be fine.”

Maman asked Tikki to tickle the twins’ bellies; laughing at the kwami, they let go of the pieces of fabric. Maman hummed as she looked at the damage. “I think I know just what to do,” she said with a smile.

Emma hoped so. Maman and Papa deserved their special gift.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

A week later, Maman handed a rolled-up bundle to Emma. It was tied with a ribbon.

“What is it, Maman?” she asked.

Her Maman chuckled. “Untie it and see.”

It looked kind of like a blanket – a  _ quilt _ , like the one on Emma’s bed- but it was much smaller. Almost pocket-sized.

“Is this a kwami-blanket, Maman?”

Maman shrugged. “If you want it to be, I suppose. If you get a kwami-friend of your own someday, you can use it for that.” Good, Maman still didn’t know about Emma talking to all her kwami-friends in the box. “But sometimes it’s just nice to carry a memory in your pocket. Look closely at it.”

Emma did- and then she saw it. Right in the middle of the tiny quilt was the fancy “A” from the old handkerchief. She brightened; now she could carry her parent’s love anywhere she wanted! She tucked her precious tiny quilted handkerchief in her pocket for safekeeping. No way were the twins getting hold of it again.

Then she grew sad again. “But what about you and Papa? Don’t you get one?”

“Oh, cherie,” Maman’s eyes twinkled. “I cut little pieces for us already. Both Papa and I have them in our phone cases, so they’re always with us.” She kissed the top of Emma’s head. “Thank you for thinking of us.”

Like Emma would ever forget. She had the best parents in the world. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't. It's not you, it's me. My whole family is crazy. (Including the one typing this.) 
> 
> (really, I'd write tonight's drama into a story, except a-it's too stupid/gross for words, and b- no one in this world would do something like that. Except maybe Kim. He might. On a bet.)
> 
> The handkerchief is dead. The story is over. It's three in the morning. Please tell me what you think, or I may have to find something more drastic than writing to do.

**Author's Note:**

> This was a bit of scenery that I wrote in three hours and edited for a day before posting to the contest in a Discord chat room. It's a prime example of speed writing. The theme of the contest was Miraculous Summer, so I thought- what's the worst thing that can happen in the summer? Or to a superhero? Getting sick, of course. And summer colds are so much worse...
> 
> (I may have a bit of a vicious streak, constantly putting fictional characters through trauma. But in my defense, that's pretty much a writer's job.)
> 
> Anyway, I hope you like this! Comments are always appreciated!


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